Beneath the Floorboards
by Kael-bail
Summary: Boarding School AU! Eren is the non academic kid who doesn't want anything to do with school, but being thrown into a boarding school might be on his top list of things he doesn't want. But is there more to this school than appearances let him see? What's with the strange noises from the basement? And why is the Science professor staring at him so much! m/m, f/f, m/f relations


The number of times I actually WANTED to go to school couldn't be counted on one hand. Maybe even a few fingers if you stretched it. Fact was, I wasn't very academic; sure I was smart, when I applied myself, but why the heck was I going to try that? Seemed pointless, at least to me. Today was no exception. I couldn't help but glare at my door as my half-sister knocked on my door and stepped in before I could tell her no.

I hated it here. More than our last home.

See, we had moved recently, from quiet small town of Shigashina, to the big bustling city of Trost. We had gone from a quiet town where you could walk down a dirt road and feed the cows as you walked home to a huge city, where you couldn't even see the stars even if you squinted.

I hated it.

"You're going to have to get up soon," Mikasa mumbled as she tugged my blankets away from my face. She was my half-sister on my dad's side, from dad's ex. She was only a year older than me, but sometimes she acted like mom. It made me laugh, but at the same time, it was annoying as all hell. "Dad said we're leaving in fifteen minutes…"

I groaned, eyes flitting over her clothes. Navy blue skirt to her knees. White knee highs. Black shoes. A white shirt with a gray sweater vest. That damn emblem I knew I was going to hate. I made a sound of distaste, pulling the blankets back over my head. "I'd rather go back to that hell hole one room school house," I mumbled bitterly.

Not only did I not want to do to school, but there was a reason besides the obvious. This was a BOARDING school. Yup, Trost Academy, a boarding school those parents had to pay a pretty penny for. And dad had done just that, paid a good several thousand to get Mikasa and I there. Uniforms? Dorming with a bunch of rich kids I didn't know? Classes that were more difficult than necessary? Yeah, no thanks. "I'll get a job and be an adult, thanks."

I heard her sigh, and she yanked the blankets again, making me curl as the air chilled around me. "Eren…it could be fun. Dad already packed your uniforms; get dressed and grab anything you need or want, or you won't have anything…." She paused. "And don't even think of falling back asleep."

"Fine!" I half shouted, rolling myself into a sitting position and rubbing the back of my head. "I'm up; now get out so I can get dressed." She seemed pleased with that, as she got up and headed for the door. "Pour me some orange juice please, so I can at least chug that." I heard her hum in acknowledgement as I went to my desk, looking at the dreaded uniform that sat there. I wrinkled my nose in distaste as I held the pleated slacks up. "….I'm going to look like such a yuppie…."

Five or so minutes passed before I decided I was semi presentable, cringing at the formality of my look. I hated dressing up, so this was more than a little displeasing. I was finishing tying a bracelet Mikasa had made me years ago to my wrist when there was another knock and said girl peeked in. "What would you have done if I wasn't wearing pants?" I asked her, finishing off the knot with a tug from my teeth.

"Probably not cared and told you to hurry up." She stepped in, folding her hands in front of her. "Are you ready?"

"Almost," I replied with a grunt, slipping my shoes on and walking to my desk. IPod, DS, what else did I need? It wasn't like I could bring any of my favorite clothes… I shoved an ear bud in my ear and turned on my iPod, shoving it in my pocket and clipping my DS case to my belt loop. It earned a disapproving look from Mikasa. "What? They've taken everything else from me, they aren't taking my personality." She simply sighed and turned away, heading out of my room and down the stairs. I looked quickly at myself in the mirror before I followed after her.

As I had hoped, there was a glass of Orange juice sitting on the kitchen counter for me. Dad was packing the car, Mikasa was sitting on the couch, and mom was bustling about twittering about how proud she was that her babies were going away to boarding school. "Oh Eren!" she erupted, swooping on me and kissing my forehead and cheeks before I had time to defend myself. "Oh I'm just so happy, you'll do wonderfully." She fluffed at my hair, fixing it. "Now, you and Mikasa watch out for each other, make friends. Make sure you pay attention; your father is spending a lot of money on this. We will be getting progress reports, so be sure to behave yourself—"

"Ma, stop!" I finally blurted, mussing my hair again back to the way I liked it. "I'm 16! You don't need to baby me like this!" I weaved past her, snatching my glass of juice from the counter and chugging it. I wasn't really hungry, and didn't want to deal with food right now; I'd probably throw it at dad if I had something. Finishing my juice I went to the sink, washing it out as dad came in.

"Car's all packed! You have everything Mikasa?" She must have nodded. "Eren? Do you have everything?"

"Yeah yeah," I mumbled, setting the glass in the sink. "I mean, you packed my shit already. I've got everything else on my person." He looked me over with a raised brow. "….What? You don't want me to have the only other things I like either?"

"They aren't going to let you have those on you at all times," he warned, before motioning Mikasa and I to follow him to the car.

"Maybe I'll be suspended and sent back home," I mumbled, following after and climbing into the front seat of dad's Civic; Mikasa climbed in the back without a word, texting. I glanced back. "….you have my phone right?"

"Don't I always," she replied, pulling it from her purse and handing it to me.

"Ah my phone…how I missed you."

"Everyone ready?" Dad asked as he climbed in, starting the car.

"Would you shut off the car if I said I wasn't?" I asked bitterly, slumping in my seat and changing songs on my iPod. As expected, I didn't receive an answer as he backed out of the driveway. Figured. I rammed the other bud into my ear; if it was going to be as long of a car right as I had heard to Trost Academy, I didn't want to be conscious for most of it.

* * *

I awoke with a lurch, slamming my head into something. Once I had opened my eyes, I decided I must have hit my head on the window. I groaned, sitting up and rubbing my head. "We're here," my dad announced, shutting off the car and climbing out. Mikasa wasn't close behind. I peered through the windshield.

It looked just like the pictures on the brochure dad had shown us: far too fancy for my tastes. I sneered, climbing out of the car and tugging an ear bud out. "Three hours on the freeway for this?" I asked, ignoring the look Mikasa gave me before the dropped my back on my foot.

"Three hours on the freeway for the best education of your young lives," my dad replied, pulling Mikasa's bag from the trunk before slamming it closed. "Come come, we'll be late for your orientation." He ushered past me and Mikasa, and I gave her a look.

"….Orientation? Are we fucking 5?" She sighed and gave me a shove, and we followed dad into a large hall. I had to admit, it was more ornate inside than out. The ceilings were high, and the floors were covered in a glittering tile.

"Now," my father began, taking our bags. "Both of you head into that room over there. I'll get you both checked in."

We watched him leave with our bags, before looking at each other. "He makes it sound like we're going into a damn hotel for vacation…."

Mikasa sighed. "C'mon, Eren." She took my hand and lead me to the door father had addressed, pushing it open with a bit of force. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but a gymnasium of about 20 kids my age was not it. Most of them seemed to have formed small cliques of sorts; they had probably known each other for years; that's how places like this usually worked. At least, that's what I had read. No one seemed to even bat an eye when we came in. "…Well," Mikasa finally spoke up, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "This is….unexpected."

"Can we go home now?" I asked, glancing to the ceiling for an answer.

"You two must me our newest additions!" I lowered my head, my eyes locking on a shorter woman with ginger-esque hair. She smiled warmly at us, a clipboard clutched to her chest. "Names please?"

"Mikasa Ackerman."

I sneered, before sighing in defeat. "Eren Jaeger."

The woman hummed, looking at her clipboard, before making a small sound of success and marking something. "There you are. Mikasa, Eren, welcome to Trost Academy. I'm Petra, I'm the head of Dorm T-3, the dorms you will be in. There are 8 to a dorm, and it is co-ed. However, any sexual relations are subject for expulsion."

"So all I have to go and get laid to get kicked out?" I blurted. Mikasa's elbow dug into my ribs. "WHAT THE HELL?"

Petra didn't seem fazed and laughed. "You're funny. Levi would sit you down before that; Levi is our other dorm head. He's much harsher than I am, so I wouldn't test the waters." She paused glancing at her watch. "Ah, it's time, come with me please." She led us to the far end of the gymnasium, passed the groups. As we passed, I faintly noticed each clique falling silent, watching us. "Take a seat," she told us as we reached the far end bleachers. We did as we were told, and she cupped her hands around her mouth. "Members of Dorm T-3, please congregate over here please!" A ripple of murmurs fell over the gymnasium as groups split, and 6 others come over; I noticed only one was a girl. That was when I froze at the sight of a particular blond.

"ARMIN?!" I stood up. Armin Arlert had been a friend of mine and Mikasa's when we were very little, but he had been moved to the city after his parents died to live with his grandfather. I had never thought I would see him ever again. "Armin Arlert?!"

The blond paused, before his eyes lit up. "Eren! Mikasa!" he ran to us, and I readily picked him up and swung him in a wide circle. "Oh my gosh! I had no idea you guys were coming this year!"

"Neither did we," Mikasa replied with a tender smile as I set him down. "We just moved here about 2 weeks ago, just in time for classes."

Armin let out a giggle, and I couldn't help but smile. We hadn't seen him since we were 6, it was a great feeling. "We'll have to catch up! Orientation is about to the start though, so…" He hustled to the bleachers, climbing up three steps with ease to two other boys, one with messy hair and the other covered in freckles. Mikasa and I took our seats again. Well. At least one thing was going right.


End file.
